


Secrets of Some Wondrous Thing

by jesterlady



Category: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Tree, F/M, Fluff, Holidays, One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-23
Updated: 2011-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-27 21:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/300449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesterlady/pseuds/jesterlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cameron doesn't really understand Christmas, but it's important to John and, therefore, important to her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secrets of Some Wondrous Thing

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own TSCC. The title is by John Keats

John takes her to get a special license. She cannot understand the significance of the visit. It is not something that hides them from the government, protects them from terminators, or even provides for their sustenance. John explains that it is against the law unless they have a license. They break many other laws; it does not make sense to keep this one. But John insists.

John takes her to the forest. It is approximately 151.453 miles from their current safe house. Sarah has let them go while exacting many promises of being careful from her son and telling Cameron six times to make sure John is kept safe. Cameron does not understand why Sarah needs such promises. They are already given and if Cameron had been reprogrammed, she would have already killed John. But humans desire reassurances. Cameron says, in a reassuring voice, that she will protect John.

John brings an axe with them. He is dressed warmly because it is a colder climate where they are. Cameron approves. It makes it less likely for him to catch an illness that will make him easier prey. She dresses warmly as well. It is important for her to appear exactly like other humans. There are no other humans in the forest, but her jacket is tight anyway.

John spends a long time walking around and looking at all the trees. He tells her they need to find the perfect one. This is important to John so Cameron points out each flaw on the trees in order to make sure John does not pick an imperfect tree. All the trees are imperfect. John tells her to shut up.

John finds a tree he likes even though it has approximately forty three flaws. He begins to cut it down though she offers to do it for him. This is something John wants to do for himself because it pertains to human customs. She is not human and cannot understand his customs. John tells her about them anyway.

John does let her carry the tree back to the truck. On the way, she asks about the significance of trees. John tells her a story about a saint cutting down a tree to disprove pagan religion and about using trees as vehicles for gifts for needy children and she thanks him for explaining. It is always polite to thank someone when they do you a service. John does this a lot for her. She always thanks him. Sometimes he blushes. She does not understand why.

John is talkative on the drive home. He talks a lot about Christmas and why he is excited to celebrate it. He tells her he did not have many good Christmases as a child. She does not tell him that he has already told her this in the future. It makes him happy to tell her and that is part of her mission. This year John will get the best Christmas he has ever had.

John quiets as soon as they reach home. He helps her carry the tree in; there might be neighbors watching. Sarah is happy to see them. She hugs John and smiles at Cameron. This is an unusual event, but it makes John happier again. He starts to talk loudly about Christmas shopping. Derek agrees with him. Sarah looks worried for a moment, but agrees. Cameron says she will stay home. John will have two protectors at the mall and she has a mission.

John is gone for five hours, thirty four minutes and thirteen seconds. This is more than enough time to complete her mission. She makes sure that it is done well and she uses magazines and television programs to help her execute it. Observing the environment is a good way to infiltrate human traditions. Cameron is an excellent infiltrator. She makes sure she is not electrocuted. Enough damage has been done to her chip.

John's face wears an expression of amazement when he arrives home. Cameron is standing in the living room and John's mouth opens when he sees her. She is wearing a hat that the person at the store told her was an elf hat. She is holding a plate of cookies. She has decorated the tree and the house and put holly on the banister and mistletoe over the door and strung lights outside the house. A celebrity named Martha Stewart was of great benefit in this mission. Sarah and Derek wear equal expressions of surprise, horror and delight. Cameron is an expert at interpreting multiple human expressions.

John has brought something home called eggnog. It is a traditional Christmas beverage and capable of bringing great merriment. Cameron does not think it will be a threat to his safety so long as he stays within safe imbibing limits. In the evening they all drink some, including her. She is part of the family. Derek and Sarah keep their guns with them but they are dressed more nicely than normal and Sarah does not look as upset as she normally does. John is very happy. He laughs and drinks eggnog. They open presents under the tree. John gets many things that will keep him safe. He also receives something called a gag gift from Derek. John smiles broadly.

John has had a good Christmas. Her mission is over. When it is 9:37 and twenty three seconds she goes outside to start her patrol. The outside lights are on and will help her watch for potential threats. She considers hanging lights every night and decides to ask John whether that would be appropriate later. She does not remove her elf hat. It is still technically the Christmas season.

John comes outside after her.

“Wait,” he says.

John sounds nervous.

She stops at a certain part of the porch.

“Yes, John?”

“Thank you. For Christmas. And here.”

John hands her a tiny box. Cameron did not think she would receive a present for Christmas. She does not need them.

“Thank you,” she says.

She still must be polite. She opens the box. Inside is a small gold necklace. She holds it up and it sparkles in the Christmas lights.

“I know you don't need it, but you wear jewelry and it would look good on you...”

“It's a tight present,” she says. She has seen movies where a man gives a woman a present of jewelry. “Will you help me put it on?”

John's face turns red.

“Sure,” he says.

He takes the necklace from her and fumbles with it for a minute before looping it around her neck and brushing his fingers against her skin. She turns around.

“How do I look?”

“You look beautiful.”

Cameron remembers an important part of Christmas traditions and balances on her tiptoes and kisses him on the mouth.

John kisses her back. She pulls away and points upward. John's eyes follow her finger and see the mistletoe on the porch above them.

“Merry Christmas, John,” Cameron says and leaves to start her patrol.

She has decided that Christmas is a good tradition.


End file.
